Observed annually as The United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), on December 3, an attempt for fostering inclusiveness of differenly-abled people Sahapedia is organising a series of multi-city events.
It started with Kolkata on November 30 wherein West Bengal’s tradition of Beni Putul or glove puppetry demonstration was held. This was helmed by puppeteer Basanta Ghorai and was curated for people with hearing disabilities.
The Delhi chapter lies ahead of us on December 4. A tactile walk-through and storytelling session at New Delhi’s Crafts Museum will take place with women who are visually challenged. The museum with its 30,000 artefacts and 5,000 objects will prove an exhilarating sensory experience for them as they examine the museum’s outdoor gallery.
The event takes itself to Mumbai’s Anandi Special School on December 3. Here, a storytelling session of folk, followed by an art workshop, aims at entertaining children with intellectual disabilities.
The programme will conclude at Amritsar’s Partition Museum on December 8 where those with mobility impairment will attend a session on oral histories and narratives of partition survivors.
“‘For the purpose of enhanced heritage experiences, special toolkits are created, which include tactile recreation of culturally relevant topics and braille books for the visually impaired,” says Vaibhav Chauhan, Secretary, Sahapedia, adding, “The aim of these engagements is to enhance the experience of the disabled so they are not excluded from involvement with India’s rich heritage.”